Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to an information processing apparatus, a control method for an information processing apparatus, and a storage medium.
Description of the Related Art
In recent years, in image forming apparatuses suited to be installed in offices, a system capable of extending the functions of each image forming apparatus has been in widespread use. A function that is added by extending the functions of an image forming apparatus (hereinafter referred to as an “extension function”) is implemented by a software program (hereinafter referred to as “extension software”), and can be added not only at the time of factory shipment but also at the operation phase, after installation of the image forming apparatus at its operating premises. Such a system includes, for example, Multifunctional Embedded Application Platform (MEAP™) developed by Canon Inc.
Furthermore, there is known a technique to enable extending the functions of an image forming apparatus by downloading extension software selected by the user from an external server and installing the downloaded extension software on the image forming apparatus (as discussed in Japanese Patent No. 4039439).
In particular, extension software created to perform processing from specific input to output for a certain purpose is called “application software” (hereinafter referred to as an “application”). An application implements a series of processing operations from input to output (hereinafter referred to as a “workflow”) by using functions, such as facsimile, scanning, and printing, included in an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus is configured to allow a plurality of applications to be installed thereon according to a user's purpose.
In a case where a workflow is implemented by a single application as mentioned above, it is desirable that a graphical user interface (GUI) that the user uses be matched in the design including elements, such as base colors, shapes of, for example, buttons, layouts, and font types to standards or norms generally used in the related industry.
Moreover, there is also known a technique in which input, conversion, and output are implemented by the respective independent pieces of extension software, a series of processing operations is performed by a combination of such pieces of extension software, and billing is carried out by a combination of the pieces of extension software and parameters (as discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-134872).
However, in a case where a workflow is implemented by freely combining the respective single functions of a plurality of pieces of extension software, the pieces of extension software, which implement the respective processes of the workflow, have respective particular designs for GUIs. Therefore, from the viewpoint of the user, GUI designs for the respective processes of the workflow to not necessarily match. Therefore, the GUIs implemented by disperse processes of workflow may be confusing and difficult to operate for the user, and indeed may result in low operability of the image forming apparatuses.